Keep Your Child in an Infant Car Seat Rear Facing
The safest way to ensure your child remains in a rear-facing infant car seat is to keep them there. Children should only be transferred to a car seat that faces forward when they reach the limit of their weight and height in their current seat.
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Safety Benefits
Rear-facing infant car seats are the most secure choice for newborns and small babies. This is because they provide support and support to their necks and heads. Purva Grover MD director of Cleveland Clinic Children's Pediatric Emergency Departments, explains that as their spines are not yet ossified, it's crucial to keep the force from an accident away from their necks and head. In a frontal crash, the baby's head could strike the seat in front of them, creating a whiplash effect that can be severe or fatal. In a rear-facing seat however, the impact is absorbed and dissipated at the back of the vehicle. Adele says, "It feels like a hug." In addition the child's legs are put into their car seat, preventing them from being thrown forward against the back of the front seat or any other surfaces in the vehicle. "This keeps them from colliding with the inside of their own bodies, which can cause internal injuries," she explains.
Many parents are opposed to ERF because they are afraid that their child will be bored or uncomfortable. My son Lukas has never been uncomfortable or bored. He prefers to sit rear-facing, because the seat reclines and allows him to read a book or watch a show while doing so.
If you do have an older child who is hesitant to sit in a rear-facing seat due to of leg length or other reasons try convincing them that it's the best method of travel for them. Explain that your child can remain in the convertible or all-in-one car seat as long as the weight or height limits are not over.
Be sure to secure your child in a rear-facing seat with the lower anchor system of the vehicle or a seat belt. Do not let them wear bulky clothing, such as winter coats. They can expand when a collision occurs, which can cause the harness straps to become loose. This puts your child at risk of injury. Always use the Pinch Test to ensure a tight fit.
Convenience
Many parents prefer keeping infant car seats rear-facing as long as they can, because they are less cumbersome and more mobile than convertible car seats. However, keeping your child in a rear-facing seat might mean they have to be taken out of a crib or bassinet at nap times or time of bed. This could mean waking the sleeping child and this isn't a good idea. The safety advantages of rear-facing overshadow the inconvenience, however.
Preemies and newborn babies are smaller than full-term infants, so the headrest of their car seat is lower. This reduces the force of an accident and ensures that the chest clip on the harness is at the shoulders, not at the neck. This is essential for premature infants, who have bones that are weak and are not fully ossedified following birth or pregnancy.
The position that faces the rear allows you to observe your baby more clearly than when they are facing forward. This lets you easily observe their behavior and ensure they are content and happy. Many infant car seats have built-in baby mirrors that can be adjusted to view your child from nearly any angle.
When your child is no longer in their car seat as infants or reaches the height or weight limit set by the manufacturer of their seat you can move to a convertible or all-in-1 car seat that will allow them to remain rear-facing until they are at least two years old. Some have rear-facing limits that are higher than rear-only seats that allow them to be used for longer.
Convertible or all-in-one car seats are renowned for their versatility. They can be used rear-facing, forward-facing, or as a belt-positioning booster. They are also simpler to set up and take down because they have a large base at the back of your vehicle. They're more expensive than single-use infant car seats, but they last much longer than an infant car seat and can save you money in the long run.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children ride rear-facing until the maximum height and weight limit that are set by the car seat manufacturer and up to at minimum two years old. It's common for children to outgrow their rear-facing infant car seat before they turn two years old. But, it's always better to wait.
Weight Limits
You must be aware that all car seats for infants have weight and height limits. Most have a maximum weight of 30 to 35 pounds, and a height limit of about 30 inches or so, depending on the model. When your child reaches the limits, it's time to move to the next stage of safety. This could be a convertible car seat that allows you to switch between forward and rear facing, or an all-in one car seat that allows your child to ride rear facing until they reach the maximum height and weight that is recommended by the manufacturer.
Aside from the weight and height limit, there are other indicators that show your child is prepared for the next step in car seats, such as their comfort level while riding rear facing. www.pushchairsandprams.uk can look for these indicators in your child's behavior, and compare it to other children similar to yours in their car seats. You can also seek help from certified child safety technicians at a car seat inspection station which are often operated by local government agencies or community organizations.
It is recommended to keep your child rear-facing as long as you can. This is the reason why many parents wait until their children are fully grown before turning them around. You can avoid this temptation if you make sure that your child's car seats is installed correctly and don't change them to a front-facing car seat before they are ready, even when their weight or height is near the limits of their existing seat.
If you're unsure whether your child is ready to move on to the next car seat stage or you're concerned that you may not have installed their current car seat in a correct manner contact a certified child passenger safety technician. These experts are available through community organizations, hospitals local government offices, and child safety programs. You can search for one near you or call your local public health or safety department. There are also mobile car seat check events that can visit your home or workplace to help ensure you have the right equipment and are using it correctly.
Installation
Installing a car seat correctly is essential for its effectiveness. Sadly it is the case that the NHTSA states that nearly half of all car seats are not installed correctly (and this includes rear facing). The best way to make sure that your child's car seat is correctly installed is to read the instruction manual and have it examined by a certified car safety technician.
Checking the angle is the first step in installing the rear-facing infant car seat. Make sure that the base of the car seat is set at a suitable angle to support the weight of your child and height. You can check this on the the side of the car seat base or in its user manual.
Also, ensure that your baby's head is positioned correctly in the seat. Forward-facing positions can put pressure on the spine and neck of babies due to their hefty heads and soft necks. In a rear-facing collision, the car seat's back absorbs the majority of the collision force, which shields the baby's delicate neck as well as spinal cord.
Once your child has reached the weight or height limit of the car seat they were in as infants It is the time to switch to a convertible or an all-in-one car seat that can be used in the rear position until your child has reached their front-facing limit. Make sure to purchase an infant car seat that has a higher rear-facing limit if you switch to this type of car seat, as older models have lower limits.
Parents who frequently transport their children in cars will be able to pick an infant car seat that is able to be removed and connected to a stroller. The only downside to this is that it can be time-consuming and difficult to move the car seat and stroller in and out of your vehicle every time, particularly with a newborn. If you're willing to take the extra time each time to do it right, this could be a good option for many families. Be sure to think ahead and pick the day that you have plenty of time to spare.